RESIDENT MAGISTRATE Jennifer Straw ruled on Thursday that there was a case for John Mackay, principal of Campion College, and Donald Clarke, a former bursar at the school, to answer in relation to the fraud charges against them.
Clarke is charged with larceny as a servant and conspiracy to defraud, involving $11 million. Mackay is charged with two counts of larceny as a servant and conspiracy to defraud involving $360,000.
The money involved was said to be proceeds collected for school fees and book rentals between April 1996 and August 1998.
Clarke gave an unsworn statement in the Corporate Area Criminal Court, denying being involved in any conspiracy to defraud the school. He said there was no conspiracy between himself and Mackay to defraud Campion College or the Ministry of Education.
He said the $11 million he was accused of stealing was derived at by Mr. Harvey (the government auditor), who on no occasion sought any assistance from him regarding the amounts unknown, which were expended for the day-to-day running of the school. He said at no time did he make any statement of admission to Detective Sgt. Campbell or any other person.
"I am not guilty," he emphasised.
Mackay said in his defence Thursday, that he was the one who reported the irregularities to the Ministry of Education based on a report from the auditors for the school. He said that in 1998 Ernest and Young, the auditors, did an audit and sent in a report. After he got the report he contacted an officer at Ernest and Young and asked him to explain the report. He said subsequently he had a meeting with Clarke, the then bursar, and told him of the problem with the audited account. He told Clarke that he wanted to know if he had taken any money.
Lawyers representing Clarke objected to the evidence on the ground that it was prejudicial but the judge overruled the objection.
In continuing his defence, Mackay said that Clarke admitted taking some money. He suggested to Clarke that he should return to work while he (Mackay) decide what to do. He said he went to the Ministry of Education and requested to see the Permanent Secretary, but he was told she was going on leave. He was instead directed to another Ministry official and he made a report to her.
The trial resumes on June 18 when Mackay will continue his defence.
